Lifestyle

Low-cost Ryanair planning transatlantic flights

UPDATE: Ryanair's board issued a statement days later, retracting the statement that the airline was planning long haul flights.

Ryanair, the notorious low-cost airline based in Ireland, may soon be an option for ultra-cheap transatlantic travel.

The airline announced a plan Monday to fly routes between as many as 14 European and U.S. cities within the next five years, with fares potentially as low as £14 ($21) one way. (Most fares would be higher.)

Destinations would include New York City, Boston, Chicago and Miami, from London Stansted, Dublin and Berlin, according to the statement.

“European consumers want lower-cost travel to the USA and the same for Americans coming to Europe," the statement said. "We see it as a logical development in the European market."

One big challenge to launching the routes is securing long haul aircraft: Ryanair currently operates only Boeing 737-800s, which have a shorter range compared to craft often used to fly transatlantic routes, like the 767. The airline is already speaking with aircraft manufacturers, according to the Irish Independent.

Ryanair has previously announced its intentions to start transatlantic service, however the need for longhaul aircraft has always put the timeline indefinitely in the future.

The transatlantic plan is part of a five-year growth strategy approved by the Ryanair's board. Transatlantic flights are some of the most profitable for carriers, according to the Guardian, however established airlines like British Airways and American currently have a hold on the market.

In recent years, several budget airlines have attempted to start cheap transatlantic service, but have hit hurdles along the way.

“We’ve seen what others have done, we’ve listened and observed what’s gone on in the past 12 months and now have a better view on how we’d like to launch it and market it,” Kenny Jacobs, Ryanair's head of marketing, told the Financial Times.

The carrier also announced Monday its new winter schedule, with more than 1,600 routes across Europe.

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